


Stay Lost On Our Way Home

by Spooberdem



Category: Avengers: Endgame - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor: Ragnarok - Fandom
Genre: Avengers Endgame Spoilers, Gen, Im trying to distract myself from the emotional shitshow that is endgame, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sakaar (Marvel), Tried to balance humor and seriousness but its loki so we'll see, pls read im just a small fic author who's too invested in fictional characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-09 15:25:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18640855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spooberdem/pseuds/Spooberdem
Summary: In 2012, Loki escaped New York and the Avengers with the Tesseract. Now, he has to find a new life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, there are Endgame spoilers here. If you didn't watch it yet then I would not advise reading this.
> 
> Okay, so a little bit of backstory:  
> When the Avengers went back to the Battle of New York, and things went south, Loki yoinked away from Earth with the Tesseract. At that moment, an alternate timeline was created, splitting from the normal MCU timeline. This is what happened to Loki in that alternate universe.  
> Keep in mind that here, the ugly raisin and his golden glove still exist.
> 
> Any errors in writing are my own, so if you see any, please leave a comment and point them out.  
> Kudos, comments and creative criticism are welcome. Enjoy!

            Traveling through the space vortex is a strange sensation. You are simultaneously everywhere and nowhere at once. Loki’s only other experience with teleportation is the Bifrost, but while the Rainbow Bridge gives off the impression of flying and actual motion, utilizing the Tesseract feels more like manipulating your surroundings while remaining stationary.

 

            He doesn’t know where to go. Asgard is most certainly not a viable option at the moment, not while the entire realm is on high alert. Earth would be safer, but the Midgardians’ petty governments will soon be scouring their planet for his presence. What he needs is somewhere remote, somewhere he can hide from the ‘Avengers’, as Stark called his dysfunctional team, from Odin, and most importantly, from Thanos.

 

            Loki is not eager to face the Mad Titan's judgement. He has the cube, but he has also lost the Scepter and the kingdom he promised, at the cost of the Chitauri. He has failed Thanos, and the past year Loki has spent in his company has made him more than aware as to what happens to those who fail. The Tesseract is the only leverage Loki has against the Titan, it is the key to his freedom, and he will not part with it just yet.

 

            Loki directs the Tesseract to take him as far away from Thanos as he can. The Space Stone responds.

 

*****

 

            When he lands, his feet don’t hit solid ground. Loki’s boots sink into a layer of debris and dirt several inches deep. Grimacing, he attempts to step up and out of the mess, to no avail. Instead, he turns to inspect his surroundings.

            The world he has arrived on does not look promising. A sea of garbage stretches out in every direction, scrap accumulated into mountains in the distance. Beyond that appears to be a disorganized city, composed of chunky metal buildings. Glowing red wormholes and vortexes pepper the drab gray sky, spitting out small ships and various detritus at random. It's the exact opposite of Asgard.

 

            Loki's a bit disappointed, but it doesn't seem like Thanos or Odin would bother looking for him here, at least not immediately. If he can make it to that excuse of a city on the horizon, this might be a good place for him to lie low for a bit.

 

            Using a piece of sharp scrap metal, Loki's first order of business is to saw off his shackles. He rips the muzzle off next, discarding both onto one of the infinite number of trash piles. Shaking the feeling back into his hands, he uses his magic to conceal the Tesseract from sight. Such a prize would likely be sought after on a planet such as this, even if no thief knew what it was.

 

            A series of footsteps draws closer to Loki. Apparently, he has company. As he waits, a group of aliens materializes from behind the heaps of garbage. Dressed in hideous masks and protective clothing that appears to be scavenged, every single one holds a gun or some improvised weapon.

            'Are you fighter, or are you food?' one calls out. The voice is heavily accented and not particularly friendly. Loki considers using the Tesseract to go somewhere else, but he sees a potential chance to make an impression.

            'I am Loki,' he proclaims confidently. He'd rather not mention Asgard, and the ‘burdened with glorious purpose’ line doesn’t seem particularly useful here.

            The scavenger who spoke to him bursts out laughing.

            'He is food!' they announce to their companions. The ragtag team readies their weapons, and as one, they charge.

 

            Loki shifts into a more combative stance. He doesn't have his scepter, or his knives, but he has his magic and his wits and that has always been enough. His opponents slow when he produces his armor and menacing helmet from thin air, but still continue their approach. Creating an image of himself to face the group, Loki sneaks back around one of the scrap piles. By the time they charge the illusion and find it noncorporeal, he's crept up on one of the aliens, snapped their neck with a jerk and taken their weapon. The spear is crude and slightly unbalanced, but it will do.

 

            With a wave of his hand, Loki releases the hologram and springs upon his enemies. Attack, dodge, parry, block.  Stabbing a scavenger through the gut, Loki goes through the motions almost boredly. The aliens' strikes are sloppy, their guns weak enough that’s he’s protected by his armor. They cannot move as a coordinated unit the way einherjar on Asgard or even the Chitauri can. 

 

            In minutes, almost all the scavengers are lying on the ground, dead or maimed. Loki has a scratch along his face, and an energy bolt graze along his arm that he'll need to heal along with the injuries sustained on Earth, but they're minor inconveniences. The few purposeless life-forms he allowed to escape will hopefully spread the word that Loki is not to be trifled with, not on this planet, wherever he is.

 

            Loki takes his spear and pokes one of his fallen foes, moaning pitifully on the ground.

            'Where am I?' he asks them.

            'Sakaar,' the alien groans out before gasping in pain once more.

            'Who is your king?' They give a dry chuckle at that.

            'Look around. You really think we have a king?' Loki smashes the butt of the spear into the scavenger's kneecap, eliciting a howl of agony.

            'The Grandmaster... smarmy bastard's the closest thing we've got.'

            'Thank you,' Loki turns away from the massacre, putting the alien out of their misery as a parting gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, if you're following my other MCU WiP, Walking The Long Road, I'm actually hoping to pick that back up again so yay.


	2. Chapter 2

            The daggers are well made, light and easy to maneuver. Loki flips one of them in his hand, testing it. The blue paint on the handle is a bit garish, but it does nothing to hinder the blade's effectiveness so he ignores it. These knives are much more his style; Staff weapons like the Scepter and Gungnir are impressive, but they eradicate the element of surprise in battle.

           

            As he walked through the outskirts of civilization, Loki shifted into the form of one of the many scavengers and outcasts. Using this disguise, he was able to pickpocket a warrior and acquire the daggers. Now, as he draws closer to what seems to be the center of the city, he changes back to his usual appearance, striding confidently through the crowds. Some give him dirty looks, but most allow him a wide berth as he passes. The locals give off an air of tiredness and desperation, while his aura is that of a wolf walking among its prey.

 

            He asks a few passerby the whereabouts of the 'Grandmaster'. Many respond in a foreign tongue, or are so barbaric as to be near incomprehensible, but Loki manages to glean from the pointing hands and broken words that the Grandmaster's domain is a huge fortified tower, standing far above the rest of the city. Huge sculptures of various faces are set into its sides, scowling down at the lower citizens.

 

            The entrance of the fortress is protected by a party of at least ten heavily armed guards, glaring at the hordes shuffling past. Their armor is clearly of good quality, and they stand out from the rest of the Sakaarians. When Loki approaches them, he takes mild amusement in their surprise. His attire is evidently at a level they aren't accustomed to seeing from an outsider.

            The warrior who appears to be in charge is a stocky middle-aged woman with a look of permanent disdain on her face. White paint marks her features, forming an intricate pattern. Loki directs his words to her.

            'I would like to request an audience with the Grandmaster,' he says. The woman wrinkles her nose at him.

            'Who are you?'

            'Loki. Of Asgard,' he adds. Perhaps a more civilized person will recognize the name and power it holds.

            No such luck. The woman shakes her head and gestures with her gun for him to leave. 'Means nothing. The boss will only see you if you can fight.'

            'What makes you think I can't?' Loki turns his coldest gaze upon her.

            'Prove it,' the woman lunges at him with a massive sword. Why do people favor larger weapons? They're slow. He sidesteps the stroke easily, causing her to overcompensate and stumble. A kick of his boot sends her to the ground, and within seconds Loki has a dagger at her throat. Pathetic.

            'Let me see the Grandmaster,' he repeats. She tosses her hands up in surrender.

            'Fine. He might not be happy, though.' The woman gathers her sword and indicates for Loki to follow.

 

*****

           

            The Grandmaster’s ‘palace’, as the woman refers to it as, is a jumble of passages splitting off and rejoining at random. Lurking in each hall is at least one guard, wielding a large energy gun. Loki trails the woman up and down flights of stairs, around unnecessarily sharp corners and through twisting corridors.

 

            Finally, the woman leads Loki up into a large room with a mirrored floor. Guards line each wall, forming a barrier of swords and guns. Scattered around the edges are clusters of people in fine clothes, drinking and laughing.

 

            The woman directs Loki to the opposite side of the chamber, where a lavish chair sits on a small dais. Massive windows overlook the city behind the platform, ships flying over the buildings and the junk sea beyond.

 

            Loki focuses his attention on the man occupying the throne. He wears a robe of gold and blue, and blue paint highlights parts of his face. The man appears to be between sixty or seventy, but Loki can tell from the look in his eyes that he is far older than that. He’s more ancient than even Odin.

 

            ‘Topaz, who is this?’ He addresses the woman.

            ‘He wanted to see you,’ she shrugs. ‘His name is Low-key something or other.’ Loki notes that Topaz omits the part where she was defeated.

            ‘It’s just Loki, thank you,’ he tells her, then turns to the man. ‘You are the Grandmaster, I presume?’

            ‘I am,’ the Grandmaster leans back in his chair. ‘Now, why are you here and what do you want with me?’

            ‘You have the most power in the city,’ He appeals to the man’s ego. ‘The locals say that you are the highest authority and they all answer to you.’ Loki can see the Grandmaster lighting up at the praise. It’s almost sad, how easily his emotions are manipulated.

            ‘I have come to you because I need help,’ Loki continues. ‘I am seeking refuge from… unsavory enemies, and I require security.’ He mentions nothing of the Tesseract or Midgard.

            ‘Hmmm…,’ the Grandmaster studies Loki. ‘Everyone comes to Sakaar running from something. War, family, betrayal. Nothing’s special about that. I only offer my home to those who can fight, have money, or can do something else.’ The wink that follows implies just what ‘something else’ means.

            ‘I am capable of fighting, if I must,’ he tells him, ‘but I have a large array of _other_ talents.’ Loki smirks at the Grandmaster. He would never stoop so low as to physically entangle himself with this shallow man in any way, but if flirting will get him where he wants to be then he’s willing to do that. The Grandmaster seems pleased at his response.

            ‘Great! Topaz, get… wait, what’s your name again?’

            ‘Loki.’

            ‘Loki. Okay, Topaz, find Loki a room or something, and some food, drinks, whatever.’

            ‘Do I have to?’

            ‘Fine, don’t. Oh, get me Scrapper 142 then.’ Topaz’s expression turns sour.

            ‘Booze hag’s probably drunk off her ass.’

            ‘Hey! Don’t talk about 142 like that. She’s a very nice person; I don’t understand why you don’t like her. Call her over.’ Topaz punches something into a small device, muttering under her breath.

            A minute later, a younger woman in slate grey armor enters the throne room, clutching a bottle of beer in one hand.

            ‘Scrapper 142!’ The Grandmaster calls out giddily. ‘There’s my favorite!’ Beside him, Topaz makes a ‘Hrrmmph’ noise.

            ‘What do you want?’ The woman asks, words slurring slightly. She’s a little drunk, Loki notes.

            ‘This guy,’ the Grandmaster points to Loki, ‘is going to be staying with us. Isn’t that great? Find him somewhere to stay.’ 142’s eyes flick over Loki briefly, seemingly unimpressed.

            ‘All right. Follow me, whoever you are.’ She turns to walk out of the hall, taking a swig from her bottle.

            ‘Thank you,’ Loki tells the Grandmaster, but he’s already turned his attention to something else. He hurries and goes after 142.

 

*****

 

            Loki takes a moment to study the other woman as they make their way down the passages. White paint stripes streak down her face, and there are twin daggers sheathed at her belt. Their design looks familiar, but where he’s seen them, Loki doesn’t know.  

            ‘So, who are you?’ Scrapper 142 chugs the remaining beer and tosses the bottle behind her, leaving it to smash on the floor.

            ‘Does it matter?’ Loki looks at the woman, whose footsteps are starting to sway down the corridor.

            ‘Nope, but if it annoys you then I’ll repeat it: who are you?’

            ‘My name is Loki.’ 142’s head whips around to face him, and the slight vacancy in her eyes is gone, replaced by something Loki can’t quite identify. Is it… recognition? A blink, and the look vanishes.

            ‘All right, Lackey,’ she jabs, as if nothing happened.

            ‘It’s _Loki_.’

            ‘Whatever. Here you go.’ The woman stops at a door to their right. It slides open, revealing a reasonably luxurious apartment, though like everything else on this planet it’s decorated in bright shades. 142 gestures vaguely at the interior.

            ‘There’s food, drinks, maybe clothes, I don’t know,’ she steps back for Loki to walk inside. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get another bottle.’ Her steps echo away, leaving Loki to himself.

 

*****

 

            Far, far away from Sakaar, a hooded figure kneels in front of a hulking shadow.

            ‘The Asgardian has disappeared from Earth, my lord,’ the figure hisses. ‘We believe he has the Tesseract.’

            ‘What of the Scepter?’

            ‘It is in the hands of the humans.’ His master makes a displeased sound.

            ‘Never trust an outsider,’ he scoffs to himself, then gestures to someone standing in the edges of the light. ‘Nebula.’ The blue-skinned woman reveals herself and crouches before him.

            ‘Here is your chance to prove yourself. Retrieve the Tesseract by all means necessary.’

            ‘The Asgardian?’

            ‘Kill him.’ The cyborg nods in acknowledgement.

            ‘I will not fail you, Father.’

            ‘For your sake, you won’t.’

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologize for this poor excuse of a chapter. It's a filler imo, and it's (very) short, but I needed a place to slow down and get some insight into Loki's head before we continue with this shitshow of a story.

There are no stars on Sakaar.

            The sky is completely black, save for the red portals that never cease to rain debris on this backwater world. Loki can see a particularly large wormhole from where he lays on his bed, an angry vortex of crimson burning in the night. He knows it is foolish, and childish, but he misses the constellations of Asgard. When nothing was certain in his life, the stars were a reassuring constant, watching over him.

 

            How is Asgard? Thor must have had to return in shame, kneeling before Odin without Loki in chains. The entire realm will be reeling in shock, having their youngest prince disappear only to wage war on Midgard a year later. Odin most certainly has Heimdall scouring the galaxies, but he hopes that the magic barriers he has created will conceal him from sight.

 

            Loki’s thoughts drift to Frigga. His mother taught him to fight with nothing more than a blade. She taught him magic. Frigga was the only person on Asgard who he felt truly cared about him, and Loki left her behind when he fell from the Bifrost. Who knows how she is now, what she thinks of him? He never looked back, and now he almost feels remorse.

 

            He shoves down the tide of guilt beginning to rise. Loki will never see Frigga again, and he won’t be allowed back to Asgard without being placed in shackles. The gates of his home have shut him out.

 

He thinks back to his fight with Thor on Stark's tower. His brother had told him that it was not too late to turn back, that he could still be redeemed and that Asgard would welcome him with open arms. Loki, in turn, had told Thor that there was no way to stop the war. Thanos would never have permitted him to stand down.

 

Absentmindedly, Loki materializes the Tesseract into his hand. The cube radiates a cosmic glow within the darkness of his room, casting bouncing shadows over the walls as he tosses it in the air and catches it. So much trouble for something so small. Loki studies the Tesseract in his palm, the way the light within it flickers and dances like it is alive.

 

            Is he even of Asgard anymore? Loki wonders. The Jotuns left him to die on a rock, and he is most likely disowned by Odin at this point. Gazing at his reflection in the Tesseract, Loki lets the façade drop. Red eyes replace green irises, pale skin overtaken by frosty blue. Dressed in Asgardian clothes, with the appearance of a Frost Giant, yet abandoned by both races. Loki could have been the heir to two Realms, and the ruler of another. Now, he has made his choice, and he is the prince of no kingdom but his own life.

 

Without question, Loki no longer serves Thanos. He doesn't have any intention of delivering the Tesseract to him now, and even if he did, then the consequences for his other actions would be severe. Thanos must surely know of his betrayal and escape from Midgard, and he will have dispatched someone to collect the Tesseract. Loki will have to be on his highest guard, but on Sakaar he hopes that he has bought himself some time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if y'all know how to improve that sort of writing, please leave a comment with some advice because I'm desperately pretending I know how to write scenes like this.
> 
> I don't know if Loki only reverts back to a Frost Giant when he touches a Jotun relic, that's what the visual dictionary says, but here I'm going to think of it as an illusion that Odin first put up but he now has enough power to control. They showed his Frost Giant appearance in the first Thor movie and then basically never mentioned it again and that was unacceptable, so we got this small cameo. 
> 
> Next chapter may not come for a while, I'm swamped with homework and studying right now, sorry. I really shouldn't have been writing fics but screw it, fandom comes before successful future.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed that. Once again, kudos, comments and creative criticism are welcome.
> 
> Updates will be as often as I can make them, but if you're following any of my other WiPs then you'll know that I am awfully slow when it comes to posting new chapters. All I can say is that I will try.


End file.
